Eye Candy: Pundits and Politicians to Watch

We're still riding high off the energy from Election Day, and when it comes to politics, these handsome fellas are passionate about change. Meet the roster of pundits and politicians who really make us swoon.

T.J. Holmes

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Political journalist and TV personality TJ Holmes gained popularity as the weekend news anchor on CNN. He called the network home for five years, all of which he delivered hard news with that dazzling smile his fans have grown to know and love.

Photo by Getty Images

T.J. Holmes

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Holmes is bringing the heat to BET on weekday nights, with his hot new nightly news show Don't Sleep. The show airs Mon-Thursday at 11 p.m.

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Mayor Cory Booker

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Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker is known to make headlines for his philanthropic work, grassroots policies and guy-next-door style. He's loved by his community and frequently praised for going above and beyond for his constituents. (He once went on a 10-day hunger strike to shed light on the dangers of open-air drug dealing.)

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Mayor Cory Booker

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Booker is an eligible bachelor, ladies. He's single and the object of many constituents' affection. He's even been called things like "the perfect catch" and "too good to be true" by bloggers. Have you dreamed of being his first lady?

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Dr. Steve Perry

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Educator and activist Dr. Steve Perry is well-known for his passionate approach to improving the quality of education for our youth -- a cause he has openly committed his life's work to. The nationally sought after speaker has appeared on hundreds of radio and television broadcasts to speak out about education inequality and cultural disparities among our schools. He also founded his own magnet school and is the author of the highly praised book Push Has Come to Shove.

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Dr. Steve Perry

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Perry is an ESSENCE columnist and a CNN contributor. To see him in action, tune in to his reality show on TVONE Save My Son.

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Governor Deval Patrick

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Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has been in office since 2007, when he became the first Black governor of the state after being considered a dark-horse candidate. (He took over after Mitt Romney left the post.)

Photo by Devak Patrick

Governor Deval Patrick

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Both dapper and distinguished, Patrick leads the state of Massachusetts with class and integrity. Prior to becoming the governor, he worked under President Bill Clinton as the Assistant United States Attorney General.

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Kevin Powell

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Political activist, author and public speaker Kevin Powell is well known for his unique voice and prolific prose. He has penned 11 books, his most recent being a collection of essays called Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, and The Ghost of Dr. King: Blogs and Essays, and written for numerous mainstream publications, including ESSENCE, Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and The Washington Post.

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Kevin Powell

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In 2008 and 2012, Powell was a Democratic candidate for Congress in Brooklyn, New York. Although he did not win, his lectures on topics like corporate responsibility, the work of Dr. King, and the state of hip hop continue to move masses and earn him critical acclaim from the intellectual community.

Photo by KevinPowell.net

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

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Handsome academic Marc Lamont Hill means business. He has lent his skills as an outspoken political commentator for FOX News Channel, CNN and MSNBC. The social justice activist and community organizer is a founding board member of a non-profit organization geared toward educating underprivileged youth about their legal rights.

Photo by Marc Lamont Hill

Dr. Marc Lamont Hill

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Hill isn’t just opinionated about the state of the world, he’s well educated on it too. He holds a doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his research centers around the overlap of education, culture and politics. Presently, Hill is a faculty member at Columbia University and the author of Beats, Rhymes and Classroom Life: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and the Politics of Identity.

Photo by Marc Lamont Hill

Van Jones

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Van Jones wears many hats. The former Obama campaign adviser is an environmental and civil rights activist and political correspondent on CNN with one seriously lovely smile.

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Van Jones

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Tennessee native Jones, an attorney, graduated from Yale Law School and is passionate about green jobs and making America a healthier, safer place to live. We love a man who isn’t afraid to clean up his act -- and make us clean up ours.

Photo by vanjones.net

Mayor Svante Myrick

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At 24, Svante Myrick has already left his mark in the political history books – in January when he was sworn into office as the mayor of Ithaca, New York, he became the state’s youngest every mayor. #winning

Photo by SvanteMyrick.com

Mayor Svante Myrick

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His grandparents mostly raised Myrick, who is bi-racial. Does this story sound familiar? It’s clear he’s on the path to greatness.

Photo by Svante Myrick

Jeff Johnson

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Gorgeous TV host and personality Jeff Johnson made a name for himself covering hip-hop culture on BET (Rap City anyone?), then went on to become a prominent social and political commentator.

Photo by Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson

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If you're a fan of Johnson's (like we are!) be sure to look for him on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, and XM radio, for all of which he contributes regular polical, socio-economic and pop culture commentary.

Photo by Jeff Johnson

Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown

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Anthony G. Brown is currently in his second term as Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. Presently, he leads the state’s work to improve health care throughout Maryland, having already helped expand health coverage to over 341,000 Marylanders.

Photo by Anthony Brown

Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown

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Brown’s a hero hands down! He served our country in the U.S. Army for 30 years and is currently a colonel in the United States Army Reserve. (He’s the nation’s highest-ranking elected official to have served a tour of duty in Iraq.) Brown says the two issues closest to his heart are protecting victims of domestic violence and encouraging capable families to adopt.

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Boro. President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

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Bronx, New York borough president Ruben Diaz, Jr. has a long history of service. Before taking his latest post in 2009, he served in the New York State Assembly for 12 years, representing the 85th Assembly District. During his time with the State Legislature he worked diligently to support job creation and champion working families.

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Boro. President Ruben Diaz, Jr.

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This year, Diaz, Jr. helped ensure that the city council passed new laws requiring developers that receive heavy taxpayer funding to pay employees better wages. Given today’s economic climate, it’s great to see politicians working tirelessly to put more money into the pockets of hard-working Americans who deserve it most. Oh, and did we mention the lifelong Bronx resident is quite handsome? It's safe to say he has zero porblems getting his constituents' attention.

Photo by Getty Images

Hakeem Jeffries

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New York State assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries represents Brooklyn and is a huge advocate for affordable housing for working families. He was sworn into office in 2007 and served two terms at his post. He’s well known for his Brooklyn-pride, and thanks to voters last week, he’s now headed to Congress this January. He won a seat representing the borough’s 8th congressional district.

Hakeem Jeffries

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Jeffries’ Brooklyn constituents applaud him for his prominent work in the community and approachable style, and he’s widely considered to be a rising political star.

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Mayor Kevin Johnson

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Sacramento, California mayor Kevin Johnson is currently serving his second four-year term after being voted into office in 2008. He made history, becoming both the first native resident and Black man to earn the title.

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Mayor Kevin Johnson

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Does Johnson look familiar? The brother has game – literally! Prior to launching his political career, and becoming the capital city’s mayor, Johnson played professional basketball with the NBA. He played point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns during his 12-year career.

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Tavis Smiley

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Tavis Smiley needs no introduction. The popular TV host, political commentator and author is no stranger to the news. The longtime host of late-night television talk show Tavis Smiley on PBS and The Tavis Smiley Show on public radio recently teamed up with Dr. Cornel West for their radio news commentary show Smiley & West.

Photo by Tavis Smiley

Tavis Smiley

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Did you know throughout his career, the notable on-air personality has penned 16 books? His memoir, What I Know for Sure: My Story of Growing Up in America, became a New York Times bestseller.

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Harold E. Ford, Jr.

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In 2006, Ford, Jr. did not run for re-election because of plans to run for a seat on the Senate. He lost his bid for Senate by a narrow margin, and soon after became the chairman of the now defunct Democratic Leadership Council. He also frequently appeared as a political correspondent for FOX News Channel and NBC. Today, Ford, Jr. is a Professor of Public Policy at the New York University Graduate School of Public Service.

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Harold E. Ford, Jr.

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Conservative democrat Harold Ford, Jr. is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford, Sr. and when dear old dad, who was the first African-American to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Congress, left his seat with the United States House of Representatives in 1997, his son ran and won the election. Ford, Jr. served as the representative for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District for 10 years.

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Touré

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After being fired from his internship with Rolling Stone, music and culture journalist Touré wrote his way right into a new position as a freelancer for the magazine and quickly made a name for himself writing music reviews and cover stories. (Don't you just love his fro?)

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Touré

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You’ve most likely seen Touré’s political commentary and other works in The New Yorker or Vibe. He’s the author of numerous books, and he's no stranger to controversy. Most recently, he made headlines after a heated interview with Piers Morgan over his coverage of the Trayvon Martin case and for accusing Governor Mitt Romney of participating in the “niggerization” of President Obama. Touré sure knows how to keep things hot on screen.

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Who Do You Love?

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Do you have a crush on a local politician or pundit in your area that's the perfect combination of beauty and brains? Add him to our list below!